Reba McEntire Reveals How Dolly Parton Helped Her Rebuild After 1991 Plane Crash Tragedy
NASHVILLE — Country music superstar Reba McEntire has opened up about one of the darkest moments of her life, recalling how Dolly Parton came to her aid after a 1991 plane crash killed eight members of her band and crew.
The tragedy struck in March 1991 after a San Diego concert, when one of the private planes carrying part of McEntire’s team clipped the side of a mountain shortly after takeoff and crashed, killing all on board, including two pilots. Reba, her then-husband Narvel Blackstock, and her stylist had chosen to stay overnight and travel the following day, narrowly avoiding the doomed flight.
“We had three planes. I was on one, half the band and crew were on one, and half the band and crew were on the third one,” McEntire recalled in an emotional interview. “The plane that crashed took off first. The second plane carrying two more band members took off three minutes later, not realising what had happened.”
When news of the crash reached her in the early hours, McEntire said she was devastated. “It was such a shock, and it happened so fast that you don’t know how to regroup and get back on your feet, much less getting back on stage,” she said.
That’s when the country music community rallied around her. Fellow star Vince Gill called, offering to stand beside her on stage. And Dolly Parton went a step further, calling personally to offer her entire band to Reba until she could rebuild. “Dolly even called me and said, ‘You can take my band until you get your band together.’ She sent Billy Smith, her piano player, to put a band together for me,” McEntire revealed.
Later that year, McEntire released her landmark album For My Broken Heart, dedicated to the eight lives lost. The deeply emotional record resonated with fans worldwide, becoming one of her best-selling projects. “I couldn’t sing happy songs,” she admitted of the recording sessions. “Every lyric was filled with grief, but also healing.”
The tragedy shaped Reba’s career and personal resilience. Despite the heartbreak, she continued to rise as one of country music’s most enduring figures, with an estimated fortune of €82 million today and a career spanning more than four decades.
Life has brought new joy as well. The star, now 69, has found love with CSI: Miami actor Rex Linn, whom she first met in 1991 while filming The Gambler with Kenny Rogers. The two reconnected in 2020 during the pandemic, speaking daily for hours before meeting again in person. “He was sending me food from all over the country — pecan pies, Cajun dishes, ice cream. It was the sweetest courtship,” Reba laughed.
Raised on a working cattle ranch in Oklahoma, McEntire attributes her strong work ethic and resilience to her childhood. “We worked hard every day. Daddy’s motto was, ‘Do it now, not later,’ and that discipline has stayed with me my whole life,” she said.
Her ties to Ireland also remain close. She has performed there multiple times and enjoys visiting as a tourist. “I love being in Ireland, performing and sightseeing. We’ve always had good times there,” she shared, recalling a family trip where they attended an Eagles concert in Dublin.
McEntire’s new three-part box set Revived Remixed Revisited revisits her greatest hits, including a much-celebrated duet with Dolly Parton on “Does He Love You.” The collaboration, nearly three decades after Dolly first helped her rebuild, serves as a reminder of the bond between two of country music’s most powerful women — and the enduring spirit that keeps them at the heart of the genre.